Watertown-Fort Drum migration, mapped
In 2022–23, 7,931 people moved into the Watertown metro and 9,293 moved out, a net of −1,362. Yellow arcs are people arriving, blue arcs are people leaving. Hover a dot to see the corridor, or click through to compare.
The map couldn’t load. The numbers below still tell the story.
† IRS methodology change in this year’s files (see methodology)
What the flows say
- Biggest published corridors: Rest of New York leads both directions, with 469 people in and 482 out in 2022–23. The listed corridors cover about 42–43% of all flows; the totals count everyone.
- Trend: net outflow has held roughly steady over the last three years, from −1,337 in 2020–21 to −1,362 in 2022–23†.
Population · 2025
111,540
▼ 1.1% year over year · shrinking
Peak population · 2012
120,335
7.3% below the 2012 peak
Why the population is changing
- Growth driver: domestic outflow led the population decline in 2025: −2,009, against births minus deaths (+555) and international migration (+227).
- Peak population: the high-water mark was 120,335 in 2012. The 2025 estimate of 111,540 is 7.3% below that.
Net income flow · 2022–23
−$34M
▼ $205M arrived · $238M left
Avg household income · movers
$50k in · $53k out
leavers out-earn arrivals by 6%
Watertown wealth migration
- Money moved: households moving into the Watertown metro in 2022–23 reported $205M in income (AGI). Households leaving took $238M with them, a net loss of $34M.
- Income gap: the average household moving in reported $50k of income, vs $53k for leavers. Leavers out-earn arrivals by 6%.
About the data
Corridors are IRS county-to-county migration flows added up into metro areas (2023 Census metro definitions; exemptions ≈ people). "Rest of" entries cover a state's counties outside any featured metro. The IRS hides corridors with fewer than 20 returns, so the lists here cover about 43% of inbound and 42% of outbound movers in 2022–23. The in, out, and net totals count everyone. Income figures are the total income (AGI) movers reported, from the complete county totals. Dollars are not adjusted for inflation, and household averages divide by the number of returns. Population figures are Census Bureau estimates; the peak covers records since 2000. Years marked † had a change in how the IRS built the files. Full details on the methodology page.
Download this data (CSV), free to use with attribution.
Every mover in Watertown is a future client
Shilo's AI listens to your calls, grades them, and shows you where deals slip away, so your next call is sharper.
